


Shadows of Dunwall

by Cirju



Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: Characters development, Daddy Issues, F/M, Flashbacks, M/M, Other, irregular updates, sadness and sorrow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2017-09-14
Packaged: 2018-12-29 21:37:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12093945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cirju/pseuds/Cirju
Summary: The Knife of Dunwall is now a history. Young Emily is the empress and whole kingdom is celebrating her save return. But nothing last forever and enemies of little Emily will rise again. She needs the best protection she can get. She needs shadows with eyes and ears to look after her.





	Shadows of Dunwall

**Author's Note:**

> Relationships, Characters, Warnings and other will be add with every new chapter... Who knows where will this lead me...
> 
> Anyway no proof reading included :D

“… you understand I won‘t make this easy for you.“As he unsheathed his sword I already had mine in hand. We both are criminals, corrupted by the mark. No matter what he thinks or what he says there always is a reason for ones doing.

For past few days I‘ve been waiting for him, waking up from dreams of my sword sliding through his neck. When my assassins told me of his escape I knew he’ll be there any second and here he was attacking me with everything he had. None could stop him from getting to me as I was his nemesis, the one he desired to destroy the most and I couldn’t blame him ‘cause it would be my doing as well.

“You will need to try harder.” All what happened since I killed the empress and now having to see on my own the Royal Protector made me want to temporize and so I did, using my damned powers not thinking about all those students trying to save me but taking advantage of their death. These moments were euphoric and I had chances to end his path, save myself but I already took too much of this world and I couldn’t continue.

 

… _what_

_shale we_

… _do …_

_with the_

_drunken whaler_

… _early …_

_in the_

… _mor- …_

… _-ning._

 

As the song ended I found myself facing that black-eyed bastards gun. My body suddenly frozen. My arms were so heavy a wasn’t able to move with a finger. Everything slowed down and it wasn’t our powers. I was watching the bullet and when it finally twisted into my chest I ran away.

 

I didn’t get far, literally just to the opposite building, hiding behind a crumbling wall to be discovered in few moments.

As he stepped to me I grabbed the last of my physical power and got to knee in front of him, the man who decides whether I’ll live or die. I looked up at him without dread ‘cause there was no place for it. The song had ended the rest was up to him.

“I have one more surprise for you. I ask for my life.” I told a story about myself to him. Who I was, how I lived and the moment which changed that bumptious, puzzled man into this wretch wallowing at his feet.

When protectors time came it truly broke inside of me. Outsider must have planned my fall. He had been silence for a long time and showed up just to tell me what a big mistake I’d made.

“Your time hasn’t come yet.” That voice was somehow warming, probably because of that merciful decision which was highly unexpected. Sparing a high classed assassin who could have just lied straight into his black eyes. Is it madness or some kind of fortitude, who could tell?

“Now I wish nothing more than leaving the city and fading from the memory of those who reside here.” I meant this. My life here was over and all that killing, Delilah… just thinking about it made me sick again.

“Don’t. We have much to talk about.” Warmth was gone. The gruesome cold remained. It seemed like an order to me so I withdrew to the Hound Pits Pub.

 

\\_(-_-)_/

 

Days even weeks were passing by, wounds cured and no sign of that girls guarding angel to be seen nor Outsiders whispering to be heard. I should have had left the city immediately. Was I waiting to get arrested, publicly accused and executed? Those thoughts were afflicting me.

Another sunset came but this time wooden stairs announced an arrival of the royal assassin himself. Every step pierced into my head as my sword used to pierce into ones chest. These feelings of pain and fear were new and unpleasant.

“You looked more alive back there.” Feeling his breath at the back of my neck was agonizing me inside.

“Injuries were quite intricate.” Warmth of his hand slid onto my arm while gentle press led me to sit down to the edge of his bed. It wasn’t his any longer, surely he got nice comfortable bed in the palace but it still felt like his belonging. Maybe all those mementos left in here created the semblance.

“I was there to kill you.” Floor scrunched as he headed to a simple wooden chair. For the first time I saw his trimmed hair and even royal-like face.

“At the end you chose mercy.” Those eyes, suddenly piercing through me, weren’t black as I remembered. Maybe it was matter of lightning or another Outsiders twisted game but these weren’t eyes of a heartless assassin. That light brown colour reminded me of honey and even this killing-like look was somehow soft and soothing.

“We’re not the same.” I could see why he made me to wait so long. As his eyes slipped away I knew he’s not ready to face me knowing he spared guy that killed his lover maybe even a mother of his child? The only one knowing answer to this was he himself. Everyone else dead by my hand and those who found out other way killed by his.

“We share common features. The only difference between the two of us is time and status, lord protector. Outsider chose you for a reason he believes is somehow important. He made me and he also made you.”

“You are a nightmare. Story to tell children so they behave properly. I don’t know why he gave me this mark or what am I supposed to do now with it.” Examining his mark he looked back at me and I couldn’t tell what was it I saw. “Life is cruel to everyone. Sometimes people go mad or they fight and rise. So did you and so did I. That’s the only thing that makes us similar. This mark means nothing. It just made us somehow even.”

“Why exactly are you here? To prove me wrong? Listen to my stories? No. You’re not even about to finish me. Than what is it? You made me wait here all those days and I did, owing you my life.” I had kneeled before him and he was dishonouring me even more.

“I need your services. Emily sits on the throne but there still are those who wish the power for themselves. I cannot do that by myself any more.” He stoop up once again moving slowly towards me. It was a shock I won’t lie but he was right. There still were enemies. Some of them already defeated.

“Her mothers blood is on my hands and you’re asking me to protect her from the shadows. What makes you believe I am willing to do so?” Was I supposed to tell him about that witch? About my rescue of his little girl?

“Because we are even and you’re not the man you’ve been. Jessamines death changed you. She made you realize that there is a better way.” He kneeled down looking right into my face. The storm of feelings in his eyes made me speechless. “All I can offer you is safety in the shadows for you must become one with it. I’ll provide you with everything you need. Safe hideout, weapons, food anything you can think of.” He reached for my hands and at the moment his fingertips hit my skin our marks started to shine as they did when we had fought. “You’re the one who’s deciding what will your gifts serve for.”

“You’re pathetic.” I ripped my hands from his clutch stepping away and I turned back to look at him kneeling on that filthy floor and all I saw was just a fool thinking he might change the world. “You can never stop this. It will happen again all of it. Those men you had trusted betrayed you for a little bit more power. You cannot change human soul. It rots faster than those corpses outside.”

“There are ways to keep control. It’s only a matter of time.” He dusted and smoothed his cloak as he got back to his feet. “If don’t expect you to decide immediately.” I kept on watching him while the world was starting to spin with me. “If you will decide to help me I will be waiting at the gazebo every night for thirty days. Than I’ll assume you decided the other way and left.” It was all coming back to me. The blood, that little girl screaming for help. I heard that bastard getting away just before I fainted.

 

\\_(-_-)_/

 

I knew what I will see again so I opened my eyes and I saw her on the ground in the pool of blood with a note next to her head. I’ve read it before but I couldn’t help it. I watched my hand taking it and I forced myself to read it again.

 

_YOU KILLED HER. YOU KILLED HER. YOU KILLED HER._

_YOUKILLEDHERYOUKILLEDHERYOUKILLEDHER_

_..._

 

I kept it and headed the only possible way, getting over few stones to see Thalia Timsh her uncle and few friends sitting ‘round table, holding hands and looking at what they had summoned, a lifelike picture of Delilah, painting my name on a blank canvas.

After being in outsiders void more then few times I learned he showed only what happened so informations Thalia gave me were real. Maybe I should have listened to her.

As I was about to head away a note captured my sight. Simple sentenced I heard a long time ago. I shivered as I used to like a little boy afraid of his mothers anger. She told me that and I didn’t listen.

 

_Never make an enemy of a witch._

 

I left it there. It was too late for this warning anyway, true I remembered it before I left to seek Delilah but I didn’t take it.

The other place was a garden from the witches void. Statues looking down at me with that piercing look as if they were alive. After all they were if I think about it. But this time everything was frozen even Delilah herself standing next to the altar finishing the portrait of Emily Kaldwin.

An anger flew into my heart and as I ripped the portrait off a picture appeared underneath. The place I sent that awful whore in. I hope she’ll rot alive there.

And as I stepped to the nearby crypt white glimmer appeared and took me inside it’s emptiness to listen Outsiders words.

 

“ _You surprise me once again Daud._

_The song has ended yet you still walk._

_I wonder what the future prepared for you._

 

_I remember the first we met. Young boy of nowhere. Learning all he could from his wicked mother, listening to stories about me and yet he was so surprise when he saw me for the first time._

_You have been abducted, examined, used and your will was still so strong. That’s why I decided to give you my gift. I watched you getting away with those new powers you acquired. You saw the same mark on the hand of your abductor and you cursed on me but still you were grateful._

 

_That is where your true story begins. Story that ended. Now it’s time for new one.”_

 

\\_(-_-)_/

 

How long could it be? Hours, day, whole weeks? The time flows differently in there. I’d even heard story of a man who spent there thirty years and when he came back he wasn’t a bit older. But this wasn’t time for stories. It was time to act, time to go back to what I’d started.

I got up and every bone and muscle burned with pain. I really must had been there for a while. Maybe it was too late to go meet him or maybe I was just afraid to go back but I had to. For the sake of that damn little girl and future of this kingdom.

As I was getting ready to leave a single white rose captured my eye. It was out there next to the garden gate between all those rotting bodies and feasting rats. Looking at that beauty I realized the need of young empress protection. This world is cruel far more than she can imagine. I lived on both sides. First I was the victim later I became abductor. Is that what he wanted me to realize?

“I’m getting older.” I stood there for a little bit longer, looking at that sweet, innocent miracle and than I went to plucked it just before I blinked away towards the Dunwall castle.

 

I remembered the way and my mind was playing tricks on me. It was like seeing Billies red coat. I saw guards that vanished into the air. Stars where shining but it looked like a daylight to me and with the white rose in my hand I arrived to the gazebo and here it was. The gravestone of empress Jessamine. It got cold when I laid the flower as well as my blade to the marble stone.

“I’m probably the last one you wanted to see.” I said in a low quiet voice. I never stopped over death of someone, never visited graveyard to say goodbyes to anyone and it just felt strange to me. I literally stood on the grave of my doing. The grave of my past.

“I started to think you’ll never show up.” With shock I looked for the voice and here he was standing, watching that cold marble with a short memento and my token of humility. I looked back again and watched petals gently hugging the name.

“Work needed to be done.” We both kept our voices down like if the opposite would disturb empresses slumber. To watch someone close to die like this must have been terrible experience. But watching someone you would consider your own to suffer and turn against you or leaving you… It tore my heart into pieces. Knowing my Billie was somewhere I couldn’t protect her. Corvo probably felt the same when I kidnapped that little girl.

“She would appreciate this.” He broke the silence and stepped to stand by my side. “She loved white flowers.” I slowly looked into his face slightly wryly with pain. He was great in keeping still face, untrained eye wouldn’t have noticed.

“I owe her.” My feet brought me out of the gazebo and he followed me. He probably understood it was hard for me. “When the outsider though I’m going to die he told me that there are eight others who wear the mark. That means seven people who might be threat upon Emily.” I didn’t smoke but I kept some cigars with me for very special occasions as this one was. I offered one to Corvo surprised he accepted.

And here we stood in silence again smoking cigars. I watched how the smoke slowly floated and even slower vanishing, merging into the air.

“So where will I be staying and where will I find some trustworthy man to train?” I asked as I crunched the end of cigar with my shoe.

“It’s deal.” He did the same and we shook hands to seal our unspoken deal.

**Author's Note:**

> I accept any form of constructive critisism, language tips and others...


End file.
